Tag: working mom;

The Other Side of Maternity Leave: The Coworkers We Leave Behind

Do you know that us moms we LOVE talking about our maternity leave? The favourite is how it was not a holiday. Actually, it was not a holiday for our coworkers either. The other side of maternity leave is about our coworkers who had to step up at work. Society spends a lot of time focused on the individual going on maternity, her and baby, and then her return.  What we do not zone in on is the additional work our coworkers had to manage.

I had two maternity leaves, and I even have a whole section on my blog dedicated to the maternity leave so this was my internal reflection.

[bctt tweet=”Maternity Leave is not a holiday. But it is not a holiday for colleagues either. Lets be grateful” username=”cherralle_”]

I would like to challenge us all to reflect on our colleagues who had to step in at work while we were on maternity.

Related Post: 7 Things a Working Mother Wants To Tell her Boss

Here Are 4 Reasons Why Our Colleagues Who Supported Us Need a Thank You

 

maternity leave and coworkers

 

The load you had to carry

In many organisations, a company may not hire a temporary replacement for someone who goes on maternity leave. Simply put, work often gets shifted around and spread across the team. This means that those left behind have to carry an extra load during this time.

You do it with a smile

No complaints nothing, just purely supporting us who need the time to go off. Yes, we must go on maternity, but we are still grateful.

In many instances, our colleagues are impacted at work too when others are on maternity, and it is appreciated.

[bctt tweet=”we should show gratitude to our colleagues who picked up the extra load when we went on maternity leave” username=”cherralle_)”]

Related Post: 7 Reasons Why I am Pretty Certain We Are Only Having Two Kids

A warm, friendly welcome back

When I came back,  my colleagues were supportive and helpful. Helping me ease back into things and explaining patiently and slowly what is happening at work.  I forgot so many things while on maternity. Erm…how do I log on now again?  I have just been away for five months, and all they wanted to know was how I was doing and be genuinely helpful. That was selfless, and I was grateful for that.

You spoilt me

I was showered with presents for myself and the little one by my colleagues. People do not NEED to get anything for a new baby. It was done out of the goodness of their hearts and they were genuinely happy and supportive of my pregnancy.

Further Reading: Maternity Leave – 5 Practical Steps to Make Returning To Work Easier

So when you, are going on, or have returned from maternity leave:

  1. Be grateful. Do not take it for granted what our colleagues have done and are doing to support and keep things afloat. Remember in most cases they will need to carry an extra load.
  2. Be empathetic. Yes we know it’s tough going on and coming back from maternity, and you need your colleagues and boss to support you as you return to worl.  Just remember that your colleagues may also be going through tough times.
  3. Pay it forward. Know that your time will come when you need to support others going on maternity leave 🙂

[bctt tweet=”Although going on maternity is a must, I still feel grateful to my team for stepping in” username=”cherralle_”]

Related Post: Pumping Breast Milk at Work: The Law and What Moms Have To Say

Through this post, I want to share a different perspective of how our work community supports working mothers when we go off to have babies!

Share this  and tag a friend you believe supported you doing maternity!

Featured Image: istock

 

Moms, Step and Play with Your Kids| How To Say Yes To More Playtime

Are you a working mom who is kicking ass and taking names at work?

And you are giving your all to make time for your family but you struggle with work life balance?

We all know this is not a perfect balance, but we are all doing our best.

I have just completed reading Shonda Rhimes’ Year of Yes. One of the ideas that resonate with me is that of saying  ‘yes’ to our children‘.

Saying ‘yes’ to our children when they want to play and be with us is easier than we think. Okay not all the time, I am a realist too.

Shonda states that when she plays with her kids, they can only play with her for about 15 minutes before they want to move on.

Do you have 15 minutes? She asks.

[bctt tweet=”Say ‘Yes’ to your children when they ask to play with you, 15 min is doable” username=””]

Related Post: 7 Reasons Why I am Pretty Certain We Are Only Having Two Kids

We are out there being awesome at work.

Are you kicking ass and taking names at work?

Saying ‘yes’ to your mentors, sponsors and to those stretch assignments?

Are you putting up with a horrible boss at work?

Let’s also say ‘yes’ to our children and ourselves.

This is how it plays out mamas, admit it:

  • Mommy, please play with me outside-  Not now angel, I need to do the dishes. Just say ‘yes’.

 

  • There is a moms’ tea at my daughter’s playschool. Should I go? Gosh my diary is a nightmare…. – Just say ‘yes’ to the moms’ tea at least sometimes. We know how we can never make the moms’ tea because its smack bang in the middle of the work. But let’s just say ‘yes’ once.

[bctt tweet=”Just ‘say yes’ to playing with your kids. It will mean the world to them and you.” username=”cherralle_”]

 

 

What are some steps you can take to say ‘Yes’ to yourself and your children?

1. Weekends.

Spend time focusing on yourself and your family on weekends. Always aim to close off what you need to do on a Friday.

Then get on the floor and just play with your children.

2. When you leave work, really leave.

Okay, this is  personal, as each person needs to find their way of working. Some people, leave work earlier and then catch up in the evening after the kids are down.

Only you can hold yourself accountable for the focus you are giving. Reach out to a mentor if you are struggling, see next point. I wrote a post on this topic, Dear Working Mother, Here is How To Leave Work On Time.

3. Have a mentor who is a working mother.

We all need to have multiple mentors. Have at least one working mom that you can learn from in your personal ‘board of directors’. The challenges and guilt that you face as a working mom are unique. You will have someone you can be open with about your unique life.

4. The Sunday.

This use to be my own issue I created for myself. Working on Sundays, to ‘prepare’ for Monday.

I stopped that  as I decided to take back my Sunday evenings to read, watch a movie, spend time with my husband, whatever. That has helped me to say ‘yes’ to myself on a Sunday evening.

[bctt tweet=”I stopped working on Sundays to ‘prepare’ for Mondays because it just made me unhappy on a Sunday night. Take back your Sunday!” username=”cherralle”]

Let’s say yes to being more present

Let’s say ‘yes’ to spending time with our children, being present, they are only this little once.

In my daughters’ eyes (who is three years old) I am a ROCK STAR!! I am her ROCK STAR and I will work on saying ‘yes’ more to her (when she is not driving me nuts).

In which ways can you create more time for play?

Further Reading:

Shonda Rhimes Year of Yes: 5 Key Lessons (and why you need this book in your life)

Do I Still Need To Lean In When I Am Just So Tired?

 

6 Hacks To Transform Your CV in 20 Minutes

So you have not updated your CV in years. This is how you can transform your CV in 20 minutes. By the way update your CV at least every 6 – 12 months, whether you are in the market or not!

Here are 6 things you can do now to transform your CV in 20 minutes

Ensure Education is at the bottom

On the top you must reflect your actual work experience. Remember that recruiters and hiring managers are getting exposed to piles and piles of CVs daily. Ensure your best information is on top. Include education at the bottom so that the first few moments of people reading your CV are spent on the good stuff.

Having a Career objective is not necessary

A career objective is very self focused, and is not addressing the needs of the potential employer at this moment. If you want to show your potential employer how well you match the role, rather use your cover letter – which is a must. Also ensure that your voice comes through as you add your accomplishments (see next point).

Only have 5 – 6 Bullets per job

When listing your experience, limit the bullet points to the key impacts you made in that particular role. Add actual outcomes and accomplishments. Do not copy and paste the job description of your role in your CV. This says nothing about you and your contribution.

Run a spell check

Ensure you do a quick grammar and spell check, it makes a world of difference. Recruiters are reviewing piles of CVs per day and grammar and spelling errors are a huge turn off.

Save as PDF with a proper file name

Saving it as a PDF means that it will remain in a consistent format as you forward it on. If you leave it in word the formatting could be impacted, as people open it up from different screens. Oh, and name your CV correctly (Jon Snow 2017).

References are available on request – remove

This goes without saying and so there is no need to state this in your CV and waste space.

Bonus Tip: Last but not least, update your LinkedIn

Ensure your LinkedIn Profile is on point as potential employers will definitely be visiting your profile. Herewith an overview of how to step up your LinkedIn game.

The above will help you if you are in a bind, however, you do require more than 20 minutes to properly update your CV.  You require focused time to reflect on your impact and accomplishments and to add your voice and personality.

Good luck! Any other quick tips that you think may be useful?

Further related reading:

The Muse: 20 Basic Resume Writing Rules That Will Put You Ahead Of The Competition

How To Get The Feedback You Need To Ace Your Career Goals

Step Up Your LInked In Game – 6 Tips For The Savvy Professional

{Working Mom Hack} Asking For What You Want At Work…The Right Way

Image Credit: pixabay

How To Get The Feedback You Need To Ace Your Career Goals

Did you know that up to 90% of employees hate their ‘annual performance review’? Are you one of them?
Feedback is a critical element in developing your career.  Consequently, if you are waiting for your annual review to get feedback, this is not sufficient.

Not only are people afraid to ask for feedback, but often people also are not that too excited to give feedback as well.

Here are 6 ways to get the right feedback you need to ace your career goals

1. Don’t ask for general feedback, be specific

Instead of asking someone to ‘give you general feedback,’ link it to an actual outcome or deliverable. Example if you have just delivered a presentation, ask your boss, colleague, how that went. This approach is a non-threatening way to ask for feedback and in this way you may get very specific actionable feedback.

2. Always ask for examples

When you get feedback such as “You need to be more assertive in meetings,” this is not helpful. To get into the detail of your developmental areas and strengths, ask for an example. In this way, you can reflect on your interactions and behaviour and make a concerted effort to either build on what you did well or address what did not go well.

3. Aim to get ‘360’ feedback

Aim to get feedback from other people besides your boss. When you request feedback from others, always ‘put them at ease’ by asking for their input on a particular outcome. Phrase it in a way that puts them at ease so that they can give you meaningful feedback. Example, ask your team member for their feedback on a meeting you just ran. In this way, they are giving feedback on your work and not on you. By directing the feedback on your output, people would feel more at ease to give you the feedback.

4. Make feedback ongoing

If you are waiting for your ‘annual’ review to get feedback, this is a huge mistake. Feedback must be ongoing and real-time to make a real impact. So its June, and you delivered a deliverable in January, and you are only hearing now that it sucked? You missed out on five months’ of growth where you could have implemented the feedback.

[bctt tweet=”Feedback must be ongoing and real time to make a real impact. ” username=”cherralle_”]

5. Own your feedback

You need to make a concerted effort to get the feedback that you need.  The reality is that the onus is on you to drive your feedback, so the first step is with you. [bctt tweet=”The best person to ‘manage your career’ is you, not your manager or mentor.” username=”cherralle_”]

6. Remember to build on your strengths

A growing body of evidence is showing that by focusing on enhancing your strengths you could be more productive and engaged. Reflect on what you really do well, and how you can capitalize on these to enhance your performance at work and in your personal life. Yes you need focus on your development  areas,  so that you reach an acceptable level within them. But guess what, if you also apply effort into building and enhancing your strengths this can make you phenomenal in your career and personal life.

Making the effort to get feedback can have a significant impact on your career if you act upon it. Hence, take the feedback and work through it yourself or with a mentor.

In which ways do you ensure that you get the right feedback? Share this post if it help you today!

 

Related Posts

Step Up your Linked In Game – 6 Tips for the Savvy Professional

First Time Manager:  6 Smart Tips to Go From Good Employee to Good Manager

Why Mentoring Is Overrated And How To Make It Really Count

 

 

 

 

Bye Bye Mommy Mom Guilt – Benefits of Being a Working Mother

I was coming home from work late one evening. I arrived home and both children were already asleep. And I felt so guilty for not seeing my children that evening. Needing to remind myself of the benefits of being a working mother has come important.

The never ending mommy guilt. Do you feel guilty all the time?

Guilty for not being the one to take my daughter to the doctor when she is sick, guilty for only seeing my children about two – three hours a day in the week (reality for most working moms).

Have you ever sent a sick child to crèche? I have. Guilty.

Ditch the mommy guilt, and let’s focus on the benefits of being a working mother

Related Post: Dear Working Mother – Here is How To Leave Work On Time

Working moms contribute towards gender equality

Having a working mom shows girls and boys that men and women can both contribute in and outside the home.  In fact, a Harvard study has shown that girls grow up to be more open to careers and boys grow up more empathetic and do more housework. For girls and boys, seeing their mom work outside the home embeds in their values that women should have equal access to opportunities. It creates a mental model that woman have choices, and having a career is an option, alongside out other roles. Similarly, when moms work, that means that dads would typically step in more at home. Fathers helping around the house has a significant impact on reducing gender stereotyping regarding what men and women should and should not do.

[bctt tweet=”Let us focus on things we should be proud of as moms and not feel guilty” username=”cherralle_”]

Working for what you want in life – work ethic

Having a working mom apply herself to her profession, role models good work ethic in children. It teaches our children that if we want to achieve goals and ambitions, we must put in effort. The best way to encourage our children to work  hard towards their goals is to role model this behaviour.

[bctt tweet=”To encourage our children to work  hard towards their goals is to role model this behaviour.” username=”cherralle_”]

It’s called lights

Let’s not forget that as a working mom you also help with the bills. And typically in a home where the mom is working, it is a two income household (not always but typically). A two income family have a higher standard of living, and this positively impacts the lifestyle of the household, i.e. better schools, vacations, more exposure in general. That is a real benefit for the entire family.

 

 

Independence in kids

Being a working mom, means that your family time is limited.  And so your children will need to do certain things on their own as they grow up. This does not mean leaving a child to fend for itself, but you know what, the little tasks they will need to sort out for themselves will help them in the long run. Learning to tidy up, make their own snacks and being responsible in different ways.

[bctt tweet=”Having a working mom helps kids build independence” username=”cherralle_”]

At the end of it all, you need to be comfortable with how you are finding your own work life ‘integration’. We are all doing our best to look after our families. I hope the benefits of being a working mother outlines above, helps you to see the other side.

When the guilt comes be kind to yourself, and moms be kind to each other.

Related Posts: Working Mom – 7 Tips to Find More Time For Yourself and Your Family

 

 

{Working Mom Hack} 7 Tips to Get More Time for Yourself and Your Family

Being a working parent, I am always looking for ways to maximize time with the family and for myself. In between the morning rush, getting to work, and then running out the door at 17h00. The week is just madness.

Here are seven tips that help might just help you!

1. Grocery Shopping

Try to do as much of your grocery shopping during the week when possible or online. This will save the pain of having to take your Saturday morning to have to do your top up. Grocery shopping on the weekend is my pet peeve because it takes so much time and I feel that it ‘eats’ into my weekend time.

2. Do as much shopping as you can online

Following on from above, do as much  your shopping online if you can. Nappies, milk, meals, gifts, kids clothes, books. My favourite online shops are Woolworths, Takealot, Spree, and Zando.

3. Lower your cleaning standards; there is no ‘clean house police.’

[bctt tweet=”Working Mom Tip for saving time: Lower your cleaning standards, the cleaning police are not coming” username=”cherralle_”]
I am sorry, but I am not going to spend my weekend cleaning the whole day. Of course, keep your home in a liveable and relatively tidy state. Tidy enough so that if you have an expected visitor, you can quickly clean it in five minutes flat. Seriously the ‘house cleaning police’ are not coming. Yes, I am blessed as I have a nanny who also tidies in the week. With kids, this is a constant issue though. I promise the house is a mess on a Saturday morning. When you have spare time on the weekend, don’t clean. Just relax, read a book, do a fun activity with the kids, talk to your husband, do anything just stop cleaning. If cleaning relaxes you then, by all means, whip out the mop.

4. Cook bulk meals where possible

Try to do at least one or two bulk meals on the weekend. Even if you don’t cook, at least do as much of your preparation on the weekend. I try to cook at least two to three nights worth of dinners on the weekend, and it makes a huge difference. Some weekends I am not cooking, and am just chilling though (see the previous point!).

5. Still get your hair and nails done -but after hours

At one stage I was going to a hairdresser on my way to work where I could pop in at 7 am or after hours, and it was on my way to work. HEAVEN! I did not need to take any extra time as it was just about carving out that extra 30 – 45 minutes to get there. Ask your hairdresser or nail technician if they can accommodate special hours, just ask, a lot of salons are willing to go the extra mile and do this.

6. Block your diary

Blocking out two to three hours a day has changed my working life as I was being swept away in meetings. Blocking my dairy each day helps me have a productive time in the day where I can focus on getting things done. This means that I can manage to leave work at a decent time most days (this is an ongoing work in progress for me).

[bctt tweet=”Working mom time saver: Blocking 2 – 3 hours a day in my dairy each day allows me to get things done” username=”cherralle_”]

7. Work out a routine for your family

Did I ever mention how much I love early bedtimes? For the kids, not for me 🙂 I do need my space for a few hours in the evening to just chill out. Let’s be honest; do parents need the routine more than kids do? I think there are strong arguments for that. With my second daughter we are a bit lose on the routine, but she is perfectly fine and still sleeps decent at night! Figure out what your family needs are and go with that. Herewith an article from Quick and Dirty Tips on how to set up a family routine to simplify your life if you are interested.

Take care of yourself, as a parent you have many demands on you, work, life, family. Its important to carve time out for yourself too. This post is titled, tips for finding time for your yourself and your family.

What are your time saving tips?

Life Lately Update and Why I Am Writing a Blog for Working Moms

I started writing on the blog about two months ago, and I wanted to share an update of how this has been going. In this post, I will cover:

  • why i write
  • why i want to write about working moms and their careers
  • currently reading, watching, anticipating and feeling

 

I write.

Writing has given me an opportunity to share thoughts on parenting and working motherhood.  At times I feel as if I am bearing my soul, it is sometimes scary to push that publish button.

I learnt from South African blogger Melissa in 9 Lessons I Learnt in my first year of Being a Blogger that feeling scared at this juncture happens.

Why do I want to write about moms and careers? Because moms deserve awesome careers too.

I often come across women (including me) who:

    • work hard but who are afraid of starting a family as they fear it will damage their career
    • pressurize themselves (and each other) to be perfect
    • talented women, not claiming their space at work because of myths that ambition is not for ‘mothers’
    • Guilt around not being “mom” enough and guilt around not spending enough time at work

Is it hard being a working parent? Yes, nothing worth it in life is easy but it is also very rewarding. I do not  have the answer to these dilemmas, what I do know is that we need to be okay to talk about it.

Whatever you decide as a woman, you need to do what works for you and your family.

[bctt tweet=”I believe in choice, whatever you decide, whether its being at home or working, its up you” username=”cherralle_”]

Posts that people responded well to:

Do I Still Need to Lean In When I Am Just So Tired

Will Gender in Kids Clothes Every Go Away and Should We Even Care

I Am Okay with Being a Good Enough Parent (in SA Mom Blogs)

This demonstrates that people are enjoying reading about real accounts where personal experiences are being shared.

The blog

Having a blog is work, boy oh boy! To maintain my blog, I am writing, reading, commenting on blogs, and always researching trying to figure out how to change something ‘technical’ on my blog.  I feel at times like my blog is a third child in my life, it needs love, attention and time. It’s an intense hobby.

[bctt tweet=”I feel at times like my blog is a third child in my life, it needs love, attention and time” username=”cherralle_”]

I read more now than I ever have in my entire life. Topics I read about: content marketing, social media, writing, motherhood, career topics, digital marketing, any topic to broaden my knowledge. The blogging community is very engaged and supportive, and I am learning a lot from them.

Currently

Reading: Shonda Rhimes – Year of Yes and am about half way. It is a very entertaining read and I now I cannot put it down (after a super slow start). I am in love with this book.

Watching: Game of Thrones (duh!)

Anticipating: we have a week of holiday coming up, so I am looking forward to this. Also, Caitlyn turns four in September, and Ava turns one in October! Insane how quickly time has flown by!

Feeling: Feeling excited about all the new things that I am learning, and all the new people that I am meeting (albeit virtually).  I am also feeling appreciative about people responding to my blog, and hearing that something resonated with them.

That is me.

If you are a working mom, what topics would you want to see in a blog that will add value to your life and career? Let me know in the comments or contact me.

Do I still need to ‘lean in’ when I am just so tired?

I came across Sheryl Sandberg and Lean In when I was on maternity leave with my first (December 2013). I was planning my move back to work and I was struggling coming to terms with being a mom and how that fitted in with wanting a career as well.

Then…I caught an interview with Oprah and Sheryl Sandberg, and I was blown away.

Here was a woman, a mother, super successful, COO of Facebook (right!) and she was setting the path. I immediately bought the book on my kindle – there was no time to get to Exclusive Books. I had to have it right then and there.

Related Post: Part 1: Our Journey Of Equally Shared Parenting

Sheryl was telling me that I have choices.  ‘Hey even if you have a kid, lean in, go for it, allow/ encourage your husband lean in at home,  etc.’

I totally lapped it up and yes it was challenging but that became my motto. Lean in! The world was my oyster. I even had a lean in circle and quoted her in conversations. I loved this woman (and I still do).

 

Now here we are 3 years later, am I still leaning in?

lean in when tired

I now have two kids, we are a  mostly functional 🙂 and happy family. Sheryl was right by the way, ‘leaning in’ has been good for me, it came with stretch assignments, rewards and  sponsors. All good. As I said, I love this woman.

So everything is okay…. but I am so darn tired. So tired. I have two kids now, and I am over thirty, if I have not made it clear already having two kids is really busy and exhausting (yeah yeah I love them and all that).

[bctt tweet=”Lean In to the things that make you happy” username=”cherralle_”]

What I actually am saying is that I will lean in but will lean in to things that make me happy and fulfilled. This is something I started thinking about when I returned to work in February from my second (and final) maternity leave.

Related Post:  7 Things a Working Mother Wants To Tell her Boss

Leaning In: Where to from here?

Leaning in at work too much  takes time, head space and emotional energy. It could leave me with nothing left to give. Time is less of an issue, I mean actual emotional energy and head space. And I need that emotional energy and head space to live my life.

I want my girls and my husband to have me as part of their lives.

This book remains one of THEE books for me and I still find so much value in these ideas and that can be a whole post on its own.

My life has evolved and what I take from Lean In has evolved too. I needed it at a stage of my life, where I needed to understand how to work through being a mom who also WANTS to work.

And it served it’s purpose beautifully as I took exactly what I needed from it. It still remains a truly inspirational book to me.

I still need the concept of leaning in, but in a different way

I still believe there is value in the ideas from Lean In  for me personally as I do still want to work and make an impact through my work.

I like to think of leaning in, as having choices and as leaning in to what makes me fulfilled. It is not about leaning in to climb the ‘corporate ladder’, but it’s about ‘doing me’.

That is why it is important for me that the work I do excites, energizes and interests me.

I like how Cathy Caprino puts it “Let’s just choose what we want, and live that.” Lean in to life, work, family, kids,  whatever makes you feel fulfilled and happy. As life evolves, we evolve and change and that is okay.

Do you have any mottos, quotes, books that you find inspirational?

 

Dear stressed out mom – take care of yourself

Women are 70% more likely to suffer from work related stress than men. Women are also known to be masters at juggling home, work and friends leaving them over stretched.  In that regard taking care of yourself, need to be intentional. Incorporate these 4 practical lifestyle changes right now to take better care of yourself.

I am a work in progress and trust me when I say I do not follow these to the letter, however I aspire and I wanted to share this knowledge with you. I was mostly inspired by Arianna Huffington’s Thrive journey. Arianna Huffington launched Thrive Global with the stated purpose to help companies  and individuals achieve their best through focusing on overall well-being. ‘You do not need to be ‘burnt out’ to have success in life’ is a key tenet of this movement.

Vintage filter, Green lotus leaf at garden.
Image source: i stock

Do the Thrive Pulse Check

On the Thrive website, you may access the Thrive pulse check   which I recommend you complete. It has  10 quick and easy questions about your lifestyle. According to the thrive pulse check I am “Part Time Thriving”.  Nice way of saying “I need to get my it together before I fall deeper into bad lifestyle habits”. There are a range of categories, the lowest being a “Burned out Zombie”. Ouch!

Sleep with your smart phone outside of your bedroom

women in bed with cell phone
Image Source: istock

I have not managed to get to this point! I know its hard, but by leaving your smart phone outside of your bedroom (or in  the cupboard) you are freeing up time for yourself. Consequently, you will have time to either read a book, relax, reflect, or connect with your partner. We are constantly digitally connected and so it is important to build in time to disconnect from our smart phones.

Get 7 – 9 hours of sleep a day

A tall order when you have young kids. Regardless, one of the key elements of thriving and getting it together is sleep…important for moms too, not only for babies.  Seven to nine  hours of ‘sleep’ is being prescribed  to ensure you are well rested.

Work in extra rest wherever possible that suits your life style. The main reason moms do not get enough sleep is not only related to baby waking (although that is a key one). In actual fact the reason is that moms stay up a few hours after their children have gone to sleep, because this is the only kid-free time they have. However, going to sleep soon after the kids have gone to bed and reducing non critical activities in the evening is recommended (easier said than done I know).

Be mindful

Mindfulness is about being present, engaged  and intentional in each moment and interaction.  Its about being human in our interactions with people, and  showing our true self. The  ABCs of mindfulness are:

A is for awareness – Becoming more aware of what you are thinking and doing – whats going on in your mind and body.

B is for “just Being” with your experience.  Avoiding the tendency to respond on auto-pilot and feed problems by creating your own story.

C is for seeing things and responding more wisely.  By creating a gap between the experience and our reaction to, we can make wiser choices.

To leave you with more food for thought, I found this awesome Infographic  which outlines 12 steps to Thrive. Do you have any activities that help you to recharge?

Inspired by Arianna Huffington’s new book, Thrive, we created this artwork to remind ourselves to question what it means to be successful in today’s world.

Arianna huffington 12 steps

Featured image: Source Pixabay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Featured in SA MOM BLOGS} Why I am okay with being a good enough parent

Being a good enough parent is about putting an end to pursuing perfection and comparative parenting. With constant inputs around what we ‘should’ be doing, and  even FOMO parenting (yes people, it is a thing), we need to draw the line. Good Enough Parenting to me is about letting go and being human. Read the full post here on SA Mom Blogs where I share perspectives about why we need to let go of the pursuit of perfection and enjoy our families.

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